Broken Promises
by inevitablecatastrophe
Summary: Addison Montgomery hid the fact that she had a daughter from her ex-husband, Derek Shepherd. She shares his hair, his eyes, and his sister's name. Amelia Montgomery was always riddled with questions about her past and her father; questions her mother avoided. When she gets the opportunity to get answers, she takes it. AU. Set in 2018. No one left, no one died.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This is an AU Grey's Anatomy Fanfiction. There's no Jo. There's no Stephanie. The original cast is still alive and well, just in different situations. Addison never went to Seattle for the consult and got back together with Derek. Those who died never died. The only character I own is my O/C; the rest, unfortunately, belong to Shonda Rhimes.**

 **PROLOGUE**

"Derek, you can't do this," Addison plead, as she followed her husband to the front door of the home they shared together in New York. "Derek, please, we have to talk about this! You have to give me a chance to explain! What are you doing with my clothes, Derek?!" She ran after him, wearing nothing but a t-shirt. Her words started coming out so fast, even she didn't know what she was saying at that point. Her heart was beating out of her chest, her body radiating with adrenaline and guilt. Derek descended the stairs, and Addison chased after him, trying her hardest to get him to listen to her. "He was just here, he was just here, and—"

"You screwed my best friend, and all you can say is 'he was just here?!'" Derek interrupted, pulling open the front door. A gust of wind flew in through the door. Rain was falling, the sound of thunder nearly drowning out his words. He threw her clothes down out the front door. He didn't have a care in the world about those clothes. He wishes it was her he had thrown out the door. "Get out," His voice was so monotonous, it almost scared Addison.

"No," She rebutted, gripping onto the handrail of their staircase.

"Get out!" He repeated, raising his voice a little louder. "Get out of my house!"

"No," She refused again. "Derek, I'm not going anywhere! I'm holding my ground."

" _Get out!"_ Derek shouted, as Addison sat at the bottom of the staircase, gripping the rail even tighter.

"No! I'm holding my ground, Derek! _We don't quit!_ What are you doing?!" Addison shouted, as Derek grabbed her by the arm, dragging her toward the door. He pushed her outside, slamming the door in her face. The sobs Addison had been holding back escaped with a vengeance. Catching her breath was not an option.

"Please," She begged. "Please, Derek!"

Derek opened the door, a blank expression on her face. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry, please, you have to give me a chance to show you how sorry I am, please!" She wrapped her arms around him. She placed a hand on his back, but she knew it was half-hearted. They had been married for twelve years; she knew what this meant, but she was in denial. She put her hands on either side of his face, leaning in to try to kiss him. He pulled away from her and closed the door.

"You stay," He spoke. "I'll go. I'll get my clothes in the morning."

That wasn't the reaction she was expecting. Panic arose in her chest again. "No, no no no, Derek, no. We can survive this. We're… we're Addison and Derek…"

"I can't look at you," He turned his head. "I look at you, and I feel nauseous. I just…" Tears finally fell from Derek's eyes. "We're not Addison and Derek anymore."

"Derek… Derek, please… if you go now we won't get through this! If you go now, we don't have a chance!" Derek turned his back on Addison, ignoring her pleas and walked out the front door.

Addison collapsed on the floor, broken sobs escaping her body. She put a hand on her chest, trying to force herself to breathe. She couldn't breathe. "Derek…" She cried. It felt like she'd never stop.

She forced herself off of the floor. She crawled to the downstairs bathroom, where she was when she heard Mark knock on the door. She had been so thrilled just hours earlier… now it felt like everything was crumbling around her. She pulled herself up on the sink, her legs shaking so violently it felt like she might collapse again. The little blue stick with two lines seemed more like a catastrophe than something to be excited about.

Addison knew she couldn't tell Derek. She knew, deep down, she had screwed up, and screwed up bad. He had every right to leave her, even though she really didn't want him to. She didn't want him using this against her to take her baby. Her hand went to her stomach, and she took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm herself. She knew stress was bad for the baby. Her baby.


	2. I never promised you a rose garden

**CHAPTER ONE: I never promised you a rose garden.**

Amelia had always been obsessed with stars. As a child she'd lie in the grass at her grandparent's house, on her back, staring up at the thousands of constellations. They were her friends; they were her family. Even years later, the obsession never faded. The shingles on the roof of the townhouse she shared with her mother wasn't as comfortable as grass, but it was much less itchy. She hated that she couldn't see the stars in New York. "Amelia?" She heard her mother's voice from her open window. "Amelia?" Her voice grew a little more panicked. Amelia rolled her eyes; she came out on the roof almost every night, and still her mother worried when she saw the open window.

"I didn't jump, mom," Amelia called. "Not this time, anyway."

"Oh, ha-ha." Addison leaned her head out the window. "Come inside; it's time for dinner."

"Not hungry." Amelia's answer was short and simple. She squinted her eyes and tried to focus past the lights. She needed to see the stars.

"You need to eat sweetheart," Her mother retorted, and Amelia, knowing she was fighting a fight she was bound to lose either way, sighed and sat up. "Be careful," Addison warned, holding her hand out to help Amelia through the window. "You're freezing." Addison grabbed Amelia's jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, and the two of them walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

After their plates were served and they were both eating, Addison looked at her daughter, tears in the brims of her eyes. "So, how does it feel to be fifteen? _God,_ I am getting old. You know, when I was fifteen—"

"Mom," Amelia interrupted. "It feels no different than being fourteen."

"Oh, come on! You've got to feel older, or wiser, or… something." Addison smiled. Amelia tried to smile back. Fifteen wasn't a big deal to Amelia. She basically already felt like a grown woman; she was home alone so often. Her mom was one of the most renowned OBGYN and neonatal surgeon in the country. She was working a lot, and often times had to go out of town for work. She was used to being alone.

"Sure, mom." Amelia faked a smile, taking a bite of her food.

After dinner, Amelia went upstairs to do her homework. She was a fairly quiet person who threw herself into her studies. She got that from her mother. Her phone rang, and when she saw who it was, it felt like her heart stopped. Reese. Reese was the kid at school who everyone went to when they wanted information. She knew she could have found the information she wanted herself, but it was easier to not get caught if she went through someone else.

"Hello?" Amelia answered, getting up and crossing her room to close and lock the door. She sat on the edge of her bed and crossed her legs.

"Alright, you ready for this?" Reese's voice was riddled with excitement.

"I've been ready for weeks, Reese." Amelia rolled her eyes. She had paid Reese weeks ago, and he was just coming through with her results. "What took you so long?"

"It's not easy, digging up a person's history, Ames."

"Don't call me that."

"Alright, here we go. Drum roll please." He paused dramatically.

"Reese!" She tried not to be too loud; her mother's room was right next to hers, and it was likely she could hear everything. Amelia pressed play on her iHome remote, turning on music.

"Fine, fine, geez. You take the fun out of _literally_ everything. I can't believe your mom never told you who your father was. He was like, seriously easy to find."

" _Reese!"_ Amelia yelled, and threw her hand over her mouth. "Come on!"

"Your father's name is Derek Shepherd. He lives in Seattle, and is a fucking _brain surgeon,_ Amelia. I repeat, a _brain surgeon._ He works at Seattle Grace/Mercy West hospital, and he's married with three kids."

" _Three?_ " Amelia couldn't hide the shock in her voice.

"Congrats, Ames. You're a big sister."

"What the…"

"Come on, say it Amelia. What the fuck."

"I gotta go." She hung up her phone and threw it almost completely across her bedroom. Her throat felt like it was closing, and she was having trouble catching her breath. Her father had three children. He left them, left the one kid he had, and had three kids… or did he know she even existed.

"Amelia?" Addison called. She felt a panic attack coming on; she had those fairly often, and she knew this was bound to be a bad one. Her dad had a wife. He had a wife and three children. "Amelia, why is the door locked?" She could hear her mother trying to open the door, but she felt paralyzed. She lowered herself onto the floor and crawled to the door. "Amelia, open the door!" She struggled to reach up and turned the lock, but eventually got it. Addison swung the door open, a look of sheer panic clear on her face. "Baby, hey…" She sat on the floor, wrapping her arms around her daughter and pulled her into her lap. "What happened, sweetheart?" Addison, though still visibly worried, comfortingly pushed Amelia's black curls out of her face. Amelia was hyperventilating at this point, not able to control the tears that were pouring from her eyes. She couldn't tell Addison what she had just learned. For one, she would be pissed that Amelia went behind her back to try to find her father. Addison tried to conceal who Amelia's father was at all costs, going so far as to have all pictures of him locked in a lock box that Amelia had been trying to penetrate for years. Secondly, she'd be devastated to learn that he'd moved on. Addison had flings, mainly an on again off again relationship with Mark Sloane, a man she'd known for years. Any time Amelia would get attached to him and think maybe he could be her new father, Addison would break it off with him for one reason or the other. "Baby, please. You're scaring me. Talk to me, sweetheart." Addison soothingly ran her hand through Amelia's hair, rocking her back and forth like she did when she was a child. It was the only thing that calmed her down when she was this far gone.

"I-it's nothing, mom… I just saw a picture of Henry and it…" Though it was a lie, Amelia started sobbing. Henry was her first best friend. He had muscular dystrophy. He used to take Amelia for rides on his wheelchair or pull her behind him when she was wearing roller skates. The older they got, the closer they got. They'd play a hundred rounds of Mario Party and never get tired of it. The year they both turned eleven, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Amelia saw it as a sick twist of fate. The one person she could open up to, had a form of cancer that couldn't be treated. He died six weeks later. Amelia hid ever picture she had of him. Seeing them brought her back to the hospital room. Her leaning down, gently kissing him. She didn't want him to die never having had his first kiss. He died just moments later, surrounded by his parents, Addison and his best friend.

"Oh, sweetheart. I know. I know. Shhh…" Addison helped her up off the floor, pulling back the bedspread on Amelia's bed and helping her in. She tucked her in and turned off the lamp, turning to walk out the door.

"Mommy, please, don't go…" Amelia hadn't called Addison 'mommy' in years, and though she was upset for reasons different than she had lead on, she needed her mom. Addison looked like her heart broke and climbed on the bed—over the covers—and laid next to her daughter. She wrapped her arm around Amelia and held her close while she let her last few tears fall. Things were often rocky between them—simply because Amelia was tired of being alone, and Addison didn't understand—but Amelia was, especially in that moment, a mama's girl. It broke her heart knowing she had plans that would possibly hurt her mother, but she had questions. And if Addison wouldn't answer those questions, she'd go to the place where she _could_ get those answers.

And, apparently, that place was Seattle, Washington.


	3. Waving through a window

**Chapter Two—Waving through a window.**

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you."

Amelia's leg hadn't stopped shaking since she arrived at the airport. Her mother had three glasses of wine for dinner the night before, so once her head hit the pillow, she was knocked out. She'd written a note. She was unsure about whether or not she should, but she wanted her mother to know she loved her and that she was going to be okay. She knew that if she had done it the night before, verbally told her mother these things, Addison might grow suspicious. Amelia was never one for being too affectionate.

" _Mom,_

 _I'm sorry for what I'm about to put you through. I need you to know how much I love you, and how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. I hope you understand, and I promise I'll be okay."_

Her stomach dropped as the plane started to descend. She gripped onto the armrests of the seat of the airplane, digging her fingernails into the cushions. She had never flown before, and she never thought her first time on a plane would be without her mother. She never thought her first flight across the country would be to find her father. She kept her eyes closed until she felt the wheels of the plane land safely on the ground. She let out the breath she'd been holding in since they started descending.

As she walked through the terminal toward the baggage claim, she took her phone out of her carryon bag and booked an uber to pick her up from the airport and drive her to Seattle Grace/Mercy West. She wasn't sure of what her plan was from then on. She was too young to get a hotel room herself; she could make up some excuse about her mom being on her way, like in Home Alone, but people weren't as gullible as they were in the ninety's.

When the uber drove up in front of the glass doors of the hospital, Amelia felt her breath catch in her throat. _"Fuck,"_ She thought. " _Here goes nothing."_ She stepped out of the uber, and dragging her suitcase behind her, she walked through the sliding glass doors. Her heart was pounding so hard, she could hardly hear anything other than the sound of her own blood rushing through her heart. Her hands were shaking violently. _"This is really happening,"_ She thought, taking a deep breath and walking up to the reception desk.

"Hi, erm… I'm looking for Derek Shepherd… Do you know where I might be able to find him?" She asked, trying to hide the fact that she was fighting off a panic attack.

The uninterested looking receptionist glanced up from her cell phone. "Do you have an appointment with Dr. Shepherd?" She asked.

"Um, well… no…" That wasn't the answer Amelia was expecting. Her brain went into overdrive, analyzing different things she could do. She could drop her bags and run, trying to find him on her own… but they might call security.

" _Wait,"_ She thought. " _He's a brain surgeon."_

"Ma'am?" She raised an impatient eyebrow at Amelia.

The ragged breaths she'd been holding back were starting to escape. The receptionist's annoyance turned to slight concern when Amelia put her hand on her chest. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain she was about to endure. She passed out. Well, not _really_ passed out. She felt like she might when her head hit the concrete floor. "I need some help over here!" The receptionist yelled, and next thing she knew she was being lifted up off of the ground and laid on a stretcher. She kept her face as still as she could, being careful not to let her eyes twitch.

"What do we have?" She heard a woman's voice ask whoever was pushing the stretcher.

"Jane Doe, looks to be about fifteen or sixteen. She asked for Dr. Shepherd and passed out in the middle of the lobby."

"I'll take it from here; go page Shepherd."

Amelia felt her heart rate spike. Someone picked her up and placed her on a softer bed. There was a lot of noise around her; she assumed they had taken her to the emergency room. She could feel hands all over her, hooking her up to different machines. She heard the beeping of a cardiac monitor.

"Her heart rate's elevated; should we page Dr. Burke?" A man asked.

"We'll schedule an echo and a head CT once Shepherd checks her out. We'll go from there," The woman responded.

" _Shit,"_ Amelia thought. " _That sounds expensive."_ She fluttered her eyes, pretending they had to adjust to the light. Her head really did hurt from hitting the floor, but she doubted it would wind up being anything serious.

"Ma'am," The woman spoke. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"No…" Amelia spoke quietly, putting a hand up to her forehead. "Where am I?"

"You're at Seattle Grace/Mercy West Hospital. You fainted. Can you tell me your name?" The man asked.

Amelia nodded slightly, pushing herself up on the bed they had placed her in. "Amelia," She responded.

"O'Malley," The woman spoke, motioning to the gentleman. "You have this until Shepherd gets here?"

"Yes, Dr. Bailey." The man responded with a slight smile. The woman excused herself, and the doctor she called O'Malley used a stethoscope to check her heart rate. From there, they checked her temperature and her blood pressure. "Your blood pressure is a little low," He commented, looking at the screen. He had her follow a light with her eyes. As they were finishing up, another gentleman approached. He was tall, with dark hair and blue eyes. Her eyes.

Dr. O'Malley handed the other guy an iPad, which she assumed had what little information they'd gotten on her inputted into it. "She fainted and hit her head in the lobby," he told the other man.

"Go ahead and schedule a CT," The taller man responded.

"No," Amelia interjected. "That won't be necessary." Amelia knew what she had done was a mistake. They would ask about her parents, insurance information; she had panicked and didn't know what else to do.

The doctor put his hands gently on the back of her head, and she flinched, feeling a sharp pain as he touched where her head had hit the floor. "We just need to make sure you don't have a concussion, sweetie." He looked genuinely concerned, and Amelia felt a twinge of something she hadn't felt before. She knew this was him. It had to be. Dr. O'Malley walked away, and she was left there with him.

"Are you Dr. Shepherd?" She asked. He looked up from her chart, meeting her eyes. He had to know who she was. He had to see the similarities between them.

"I am," He responded, smiling slightly. "Have we met before?"

"Not exactly," Her hands were shaking so violently now. She felt all of the color drain from her face. She heard the beeps on the heart monitor speed up as her heart rate rose.

"Hey, it's alright." Derek put the iPad down, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Where's your parents?"

"My… my mother's in New York," She responded. She found no point in lying.

"And your father?" He asked.

"I never met my father."

Derek eyed her speculatively. He had to know who she was.

"What's your name?" He asked her.

"Amelia," She responded quietly.

"Amelia… that's my sisters name." He smiled, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. "What's your last name?"

"My… last name?" Amelia paused. Derek nodded, looking concerned. She wasn't sure if he was concerned about her or thought she hit her head so hard that she couldn't remember her own last name. "My last name is Montgomery."

Derek was the one who looked pale now. He put the iPad down on the small table next to the bed, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Amelia… how old are you?" He asked. This wasn't quite the response she had been expecting. In fact, she really didn't know what to expect. Her heart wouldn't slow down.

"I'm fifteen," She responded.

Derek looked like he was counting backward in his head. His eyes met hers, crystal blue on crystal blue. "What's your mother's name?" He asked, though at this point, Amelia knew he knew the answer.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, and wiping the sweat from her hands on her jeans, she spoke. "Addison. My mother's name is Addison Montgomery."


	4. From now on

**AN: I decided to take down the original chapter and repost it. After reading some reviews and reading it over myself I really wasn't happy with it.**

 **Chapter Three—From now on**

"Wait… what?" Derek furrowed his eyebrows, putting the iPad with Amelia's chart off to the side. "Addison Montgomery, as in…" He cut his sentence off, and Amelia responded simply with a nod. He stood up from the bed, motioning for her to do the same. "Come with me." He started walking down the exit of the ER, with Amelia following behind. They approached a door, with a sign next to it that read 'Chief of Surgery.' Amelia raised an eyebrow and walked inside behind her father.

"You're the chief of surgery?" Amelia asked, and Derek nodded as he pulled out his desk chair and sat down. Amelia was impressed, but curious why Reese didn't mention that. "How long have you been the chief?" She asked, genuinely curious about her father's career. He seemed like such an interesting person; someone she could truly connect with.

"Only a few weeks," He responded, opening a desk drawer and pulling his phone out.

"Wait," Amelia approached his desk, feeling a sudden panic rise up in her chest. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm calling Addison," He replied, as if it were obvious. "I'd like to hear it from her."

"What, you don't believe me?" Amelia speculated, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest. "Why would I make something like that up?"

"Oh, I don't know; maybe because I'm one of the highest paid surgeons in Seattle? You aren't the first person who has popped up out of the woodwork pretending to be a long lost relative."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Amelia was honestly surprised at how brave she felt. She wasn't a particularly confrontational person, but this wasn't the reaction she was expecting from Derek. She thought he'd be happy. "I don't care about your money. I wanted to meet _you._ I wanted to get to know you. Apparently, that was a mistake. Have a nice life, Dr. Shepherd." She headed toward the door, hoping and praying her bags were somewhere safe. If they weren't, she wouldn't have money for a hotel room.

"Wait," He called, stopping her in her tracks. She stubbornly fought the tears that were burning the brims of her eyes and turned around. "I just… I need to hear it from Addison."

"This is a hospital. Just do a DNA test." Amelia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms again. "Look, if you call my mom she'll make me leave. All this trouble will have been for nothing."

"I understand that, Amelia… but she's probably worried sick about you." Derek's demeanor changed slightly, but Amelia could tell he was still guarded. He stood up from his desk and crossed the room, standing in front of her. "We can do the DNA test. If you are my daughter, like you say you are, then you have to promise me you'll call your mother by the end of the day."

* * *

Waiting for the DNA test results were torture for Amelia. She knew Derek was her father; it was obvious. She was the spitting image of him. However, there was always the slight chance she wasn't his child, and that thought terrified her. She was extremely grateful that the hospital offered same day processing for the test results. As they waited, they sat in Derek's office. His desk was full of paperwork, and his phone was constantly ringing. She could Derek's job wasn't an easy one.

Derek asked the receptionist to have someone bring Amelia's bags to his office. She unzipped her carry-on bag, pulling her phone out. She turned it off after she ordered her Uber, as her mother was constantly calling. She felt terrible, imagining the torture her mother must have been going through. She held down the power button, and once it was fully powered on, she double checked to make sure her location services were turned off. Almost immediately, a phone call from Addison came though. She inhaled sharply, causing Derek to look up from his paperwork.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Derek asked.

"N-no," She answered, hitting the reject button. There was alarming amount of missed calls, voicemails, and text messages. Most from Addison, some from Mark, and a few texts from Reese asking how her trip was and if she had found Derek. She sighed, turning her phone back off and putting it in her bag.

"Addison's probably worried about you," Derek commented, looking back down at his papers.

"I'm sure she is," Amelia replied, scoffing as if it were obvious. "She always is."

"She's overprotective?" Derek looked up again, seeming genuinely interested. Amelia felt warmth well up inside her. She'd never had a father figure; Mark was always around, but he wasn't very fatherly.

"That's an understatement," Amelia laughed. "She's a bit… much, at times."

There was a knock on the door. Both of them turned their attention to the door, which slowly opened. "Oh," the woman who opened the door spoke. "I'm sorry, Derek. I didn't realize you were meeting with someone. I just picked you up a coffee."

Derek sighed, putting his pen down and pushing his paperwork off to the side. "It's fine, Meredith. Come in… there's something we need to talk about."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. You were married for twelve years, and _you hid that from me_?!" Meredith was pacing Derek's office with her hands on her hips. "We're married, Derek! We have _children_ , and you hid this from me?!"

Amelia say awkwardly in the corner of Derek's office, with her head in her hands. She felt horrible. She felt like everything was falling apart. This wasn't what she was expecting at all. She wanted nothing more than to leave. She would rather face Addison than sit in this room any longer. Any time she'd try to stand up to leave, Derek would stop her.

Before Derek could respond, there was another knock on the door. "Dr. Shepherd?" The doctor she remembered from the emergency room, Dr. O'Malley, poked his head in. "I have your test results."

Meredith's eyes could have killed George right where he stood. "You knew about this?!"

"I knew Dr. Shepherd was waiting on test results; that's all I knew. And now I'm leaving." Dr. O'Malley handed the envelope to Derek and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

"I can't believe you," Meredith sounded defeated. She sat down on the couch where Amelia had sat earlier, putting her head in her hands. "I absolutely cannot believe you, Derek."

"She _cheated on me,_ Meredith. She slept with my best friend _while we were still married._ It isn't exactly something I like to bring up in casual conversation," Derek looked frustrated. All of his attention was on Meredith; it seemed like he'd forgotten Amelia was in the room.

"Wait… what?" Amelia furrowed her eyebrows and stood up from her spot on the floor. "She did what?" Addison was always so secretive about why she and Amelia's father weren't together anymore. Amelia had never known her father's name, much less the reason they weren't together anymore. "That's not true… that can't be true. She wouldn't do that."

"Amelia… there are things about your mother you don't know," He responded, still gripping the envelope in his hands.

"You're lying," She shook her head, feeling tears burning again. She was starting to get a migraine from all the emotions she was dealing with that day.

"Why would I lie?" He put the envelope down on his desk. "I have no reason to lie, Amelia. She cheated on me, and I left. I came here to start over. I didn't want to think about Addison, so I pretended she didn't exist. In my mind, the twelve years I was married to Addison didn't happen."

"So… you just stopped loving her? Stopped caring about her? You can't pretend someone doesn't exist. Not someone, you love… not someone you care about… if you did that to her, who's to say you don't do that to her?" Amelia pointed at Meredith. "What kind of a person are you?"

"That isn't fair," Derek shot back.

"Can you just open the envelope? All my life, I wanted to know you. I wanted to know who you were. Mom told me _nothing_ about who you were. I knew some things... I knew I had your eyes. I knew I had your smile. I knew I got my obsession with ferry boats from you. She didn't act like you didn't exist! She does exist. She's a person. She matters. And at this point… I hope I'm not yours. I hope that DNA test says I'm not your kid. I'd rather not have a father than have someone _so_ sadistic as my father." The tears were flowing freely now. Her hands were shaking, and she felt her breaths becoming more ragged. She knew she was going to have a panic attack. She could feel it, and the only person who knew how to bring her down from that was her mother. She sat down on the couch, keeping a few feet of distance between her and Meredith, who seemed stunned and silent from Amelia's outburst. Amelia focused on trying to control her breathing as Derek opened the envelope. She heard the paper being slid from the envelope and fought back every anxiety ridden feeling that was building up in her body. She needed to know. This wasn't just finding out who her father was; she was finding out who she was.

Derek's eyes met hers, then Meredith. "It's… they're positive. The DNA test results are positive."


	5. Aftershocks

**A/N: Wow. I never expected to see such an overwhelming amount of support to have me continue this story. I hope you all understand why I was questioning doing so. As I stated, I've always been terrified of putting my writing out into the world out of fear that it wasn't good enough, or my ideas weren't original enough, etc. I do realize it was only two comments, but I have the tendency to take things to heart, and comments like that are one of my sore spots, since it's something that's prevented me from posting my writing in the first place. After reading everyone's reviews, I have decided to continue Amelia's story. I appreciate all of your kind words and support more than you all will ever know and know that it's you guys that helped me decide to keep going.  
All my love, inevitablecatastrophe xoxo**

 **Chapter Three: Aftershocks**

No one spoke. The silence was so thick, and it made Amelia feel uncomfortable. She knew she should have been excited. She should have jumped up and ran into Derek's arms, overwhelmed with emotion. Instead, her panic attack broke through her guarded surface. Tears were streaming down her face, and her breaths were coming through in ragged, broken sobs. Derek and Meredith stared at her in immediate concern, and normally Amelia would appreciate their concern. She couldn't focus on them. She needed to breathe. She needed to go outside. She needed her mother.

Meredith tried putting a comforting hand on Amelia's shoulder, and she shrugged it off and headed for the door. In this situation of fight or flight, Amelia chose flight. She ran out of the door and down the long corridor of the administration wing of the hospital. She heard footsteps behind her and could see the confused stares of the bystanders that were standing in the hall. She needed to be outside. She needed to get out. This was something she had been so excited about just a few hours earlier. Now it felt like the end of the world. Derek was none of the things she wanted him to be.

Amelia ran out the sliding glass doors of the hospital and knelt down. The muggy air of Seattle filled her lungs, but her breathing wouldn't slow. She felt hands under her arms, helping her stand and walking her over to a bench a few yards away. There was another bench parallel to where they were, and the pedestrians who were sitting there smoking looked up in curiosity. "What do I do?" Derek asked. It sounded like his question was directed at Amelia, but he was looking at Meredith. "Should I get a paper bag or something?" There was a hint of panic in his tone, and Amelia immediately shook her head.

"Doesn't…work…" Amelia croaked between breathes. "Mom…mom…"

"Call her mother," Meredith told Derek, as if it were obvious. Amelia's chest was tight and burning. She felt like she'd swallowed a baseball.

"I don't have her number!" Derek frustratedly threw his hands in the air, then sat next to Amelia. He looked like he wanted to wrap his arms around her, but hesitated.

"Amelia, do you have your phone on you?" Meredith noticed Derek's hesitation and put her hand on the small of Amelia's back, rubbing in circles to try to help soothe her.

"Bag," Amelia croaked. The people who were sitting across from the bench they were on walked over. Amelia could vaguely hear them asking if she was alright. Derek stood up and took off running, Amelia assumed, to his office to get her phone from her bag. Meredith kept a consoling hand on Amelia's back. It seemed like Derek had been gone for hours when he finally returned. Amelia could feel herself starting to black out. Derek powered Amelia's phone on, and before he had the chance to dial Addison, a call from her came through. Derek put the phone on speakerphone.

"Amelia, wh—" Addison started. Derek interrupted her, his panicked words coming out like a geyser.

"Amelia…she-she can't breathe! I don't know—"

"Derek? What the hell, Derek?! How lon—"

"Just tell me what to do, Addison!" Derek yelled, but to Amelia, it sounded like a whisper. Her vision was starting to cloud, and her ears were ringing so loud that everything sounded muffled and distant.

"Hold her! Wrap your arms around her shoulders and pull her close. Run your hand through her hair."

"What?" Derek questions, sounding skeptical.

"I've done this a thousand times, Derek!" Addison yelled. "Trust me; it'll work."

Derek handed the phone to Meredith and sat down next to Amelia. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around Amelia, pulling her close. He felt a twinge of sadness when she laid her head on his chest. He stoked her hair and started consoling her. "Shh, shh. It's alright; I'm here. I'm right here. I've got you." Derek's voice sounded steady, as compared to the panicked tone that he was exhibiting just a few seconds before. It was as if comforting Amelia came naturally to him. In the back of her mind, Amelia thought it was just because he had other children. At the same time, she secretly wished it was just for her. "I'm here…I'm right here." Derek continued.

Amelia's breathing started to slow. Her vision was slowly coming back, and the tears were stopping. Her heartrate started to slow down.

"Derek?" Addison spoke from the phone, which was still on speakerphone in Meredith's hand.

"I'm here," He spoke, his voice a lot more calm and steady. Even though Amelia was starting to calm down, he continued to hold her close. Amelia knew he could have let go, but he didn't.

"Is she okay?" Addison asked, though Amelia knew she knew the answer. Any time Amelia had a panic attack, Addison knew what to do. She knew when it was bad, and she knew when it was over. The bond Amelia and Addison shared was more than anyone could have known; Addison felt what her daughter felt.

"She's fine," Derek answered, and Amelia heard him sniffle. Amelia pulled away gently, sitting on the bench. He kept his hand on the top of her back, and Amelia noticed there was a single tear running down his cheek. "She's just fine."


End file.
